Method of and apparatus for working mines



A ril 21, 1926. 1,582,411

W. H. LESSER ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING MINES Filed Feb. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril 21, 1926. 1,582,411

W. H. LESSER ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FQR WORKING MINES Filed F eb. 18 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q s I Q w 21mm ifl A 2 1 fi; n'mvsssss Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT o1=1=1csa WILLIAM H. LESBER AND RUSSELL L. SUENDER, O1 FBACKVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

un'rnon or AND APPARATUS r03 wonxfne arms.

Application fled February 1a, 1925. Serial m. 10,102.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. Lnssna and RUSSELL L. SUENDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Frackville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use: ful Improvements in Methodspf andAparatus for Workin Mines, of which the ollowing is a speci cation. 7

This invention relates to mining apparatus and'the primary object of the invention is to provide a novel method of facilitating the mining operation andto rovide means for. the materia mined from the roomsprsta to the mining cars.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel conveyorlforleonve 'ng coal directly from the face of the coa seam in the room or stall outward thereof and directly into the mining cars thereby efl'ectively eliminating the difiicultiesheretobeggratus of the above character, which will' fore contingent with the of coal.

from thin coal seams.-

A further ob'ect of the invention is to provide a nove conveyor, which ,can be readily and quickly set up in a room or stall along the face of the coal seam and which can be adjusted to the length of the seam face.

A further object provision of a novel conveying apparatus for coal mines embodying anwextensi le conveyor trough and a belt associated with the trough, a novel means for moving ,the belt from one end of the trough to the other and for returning the belt to its normal coal receiving position;

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for supporting the forward end of the belt whereby vthe coal mined can be directed into a mining car, the belt su portin means affording .means whereby s ate an rocks canv be readily separated from the coal. 1

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coal mining conveyor which can be readily removed from one chamber to another with the expenditure of a minimum amount of time and energy.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved coal mining apdurable and eilicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture,

be hereinafter more specifically described,

claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

igure 1 is a top plan view of the improved mechanism, showing the same in use,

the supporting posts being shown in section Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus showing the same in operation, v

Figure 3 is a transverse section throu h the conveyor trough and belt taken on t e line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a detail transverse section through the hoisting drum illustrating the means for connectlng the conveyor belt thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail,

wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates the improved apparatus; B a room of the cut coal.

The mining car C is of the usual or any preferredconstruction and is arranged at theiopen side of the room in the usual manner. a

Asshowmin Figure 1 of the drawings, the apparatus A extends longitudinally of the room alongside of the face of the coal seam, whereby the coal can be readily placed upon the belt as will be hereinafter more full described.

The improved apparatus A comprises a base plate 5, which can be formed of sheet metal or the like and this base plate is arran ed at the front of the room alongside of t e track for the mining cars. The base plate 5 is held firmly in place by the use of suitable screw jacks or posts 6 and 7. It is preferred to arrange the posts 6 adjacent to the front edge of the base plate 5 and these osts or Jacks form supporting columns or the front end of the conveyor belt as will be hereinafter more fully described. The posts 7 are preferably arranged at the rear edge of the ase plate as clearly shown .a coal mine in which the apparatus is in position; and C a mining car for receiving of the invention is the in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. These posts 6 and 7 are constructed substantially the same and each includes supporting columns or pipes 8, the lower ends of which are pointed and pass through the base plate which is held in position by means of clamps around the columns. The upper ends of the columns or pipes 8 carry screws 2) and these screws have their upper ends provided with feet 10 for engaging the roof of the coal mine. It is obvious that by adjusting the screws 9, that the feet 10 can be moved into and out of engagement with the roof of the mine.

Mounted directly upon the'base plate between the posts (3 and 7 is a belt drum 15. This drum 15 is rotatably mounted upon a suitable supporting shaft 16 rotatably mounted in bearings 17 carried by the base plate. The shaft 16 also rotatably supports a rope drum 18 and the belt drum 15 and the rope drum 18 are adapted to be connected with the shaft 16 for rotation therewith by the use of suitable clutches 19 and 2t) respectively. These clutches can be actuated in any preferred manner and if desired can be connected together, so that when one is operated the other will be actuated therewith.

The shaft 16 can be driven in any desired way, and as shown I have provided a prime mover 21 in the nature of an electric motor for operating the same. This motor is secured on the upper face of the base plate and is operatively connected with the shaft 16 by the use of suitable gearing 22. The front pair of posts 6 adjustably supports a pair of brackets 25. These brackets carry a pair of upwardly and forwardly extending arms 26 which inturn rotatably supports a transversely extending guide roller 27. The brackets also carries downwardly and'rearwardly extending arms 28, which rotatably support a second transversely extending guide roller 29. It is to be noted at this point the brackets 25 may be raised and lowered so as to permit the forward guide roller 27 to overlie the upper end of a mining car. The inner guide roller 29 is arranged directly above the belt drum 15 for a purpose, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

In accordance with this invention, a trough 30 is arranged in the room B of the coalmine along the face of the coal seam and this trough is preferably constructed from light sheet steel in order to permit the convenient handling thereof. The trough 30 is made in sections 31 in order to permit the trough to be made as long as desirable and in order to permit the nesting of the trough, when the same is being moved from one room to another. The sections 31 of the trough are provided with depending flanges 32 and these flanges can be connected together by the use of suitable bolts and the like Each section of the trough includes a bottom wall 34 and inclined side flanges 35 as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The extreme forward end of the trough includes a movable section 36 which is preferably connected to-the adjacent sections 31 by the use of hinges or the like 37. The forward edge of the trough section '36 terminates adjacent to the guide roller 27 and is connected, to the brackets 25 so as to permit the raising and lowering' thereof with the said brackets. In order to permit the moving of the cut coal along the trough and into the mining car (l a conveyor belt 40 is provided. This belt is preferably formed from relatively thick rubber for flexible material and extends the full width of the trough and is adapted to be moved from. one end of the trough to the other. The inner end of the conveyor belt 40 has connected thereto an attaching strip 41 which in turn has connected thereto, the tail rope 42 the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described. The forward end of the belt 40 is trained over the first guide roller 27 and then brought rearwardly and trained over the second guide roller 29 after which the same is rigidly secured by the means of fastening elements 43 to the periphery of the belt drum 15. If desired the face of the belt drum 15 can be recessed at 44 for receiving the forward free end of the belt.

The tail rope 42 is trained about suitable guide pulleys 45 and 46 arranged in rear of the room and about a guide pulley 4'7 arranged adjacent to the front of the room and in close proximity to the rope drum 18. These pulleys 45, 46 and 47 are connected with supporting columns 48 and 49. The columns 48 are substantially of the same construction as the posts 6 and 7 and are provided with tapered lower ends 50 and with adjustable screws 51 at their upper ends. The upper terminals of the screws 51 carry feet 52 for engaging the roof'of the room. The post or column49 can be held in place in any desired way and if preferred can be constructed the same as the columns 48. The free forward end of the tail rope 42 is adapted to be secured to the periphery of the rope drum 18 in any desired way so that when the drum is rotated in one direction the rope will be wound upon the same for pulling the belt 40 along the trough toward the inner end thereof. It is to be also noted that the rope 42 is trained over the left hand side of its drum (shown in Figure 2 of the drawings) while the belt 40 is trained over the right hand side of its drum.

In operation of the improved device the same is set up in a room as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and the clutches 18 and 19 are 0 erated so that the drum 18 will rotatc wit the shaft while the drum 15 will idle on the shaft. The belt 40 will then be pulled to the extreme inner end of the trough, after which the clutches can be disconnected from the drum. The coal cut can now be loaded on the belt and the clutches are again operated so as to permit the drum 15 to rotate with the shaft and the drum 18 to idle thereon. The coal will now be conveyed to the front of the room and thrown directly into the mining car. Owing to the fact that the trough 3O lays on the floor of the room it is obvious that while coal is being loaded on the trough that rock slate and the like can be easily thrown over the trough onto the floor of the room during the handling of the coal. Attention is also directed to the fact that the belt immediately starts rearwardly and is wound on the drum as the coal is dumped from the mining car and in effect disap ears so are to insure the proper mining o 4 the coa of coal, the belt is again returned to its normal osition and again loaded. It is also obvious. that during the travel of the belt from the rear of the room toward the minin car, that coal can be continuously plac thereon.

We have found that by providing a belt with a single run, that considerable advantage is insured over an endless belt in view of the fact that the belt can be made of any desired length to conform to the number of sections used in the trough and the length of the coal seam face.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, but,

What we claim as new is:

1. A coal mining device comprising an As soon as the trough has been emptied length of a coal seam face, a base plate arranged exteriorly of the room containing the seam face, adjustable posts carried by the base plate engaging the roof of the mine, means carried by certain of the posts for adjustably supporting the forward end of the pivoted section of the conveyor, guide rollers carried by said means, a drum carried upon the base plate, means for rotating the drum, a conveyor comprising a belt consisting solely of a single run arranged in the trough and trained over the guide rollers and adapted to be wound upon said drum, for moving the belt over the guide rollers in one direction and means for returning the belt to its normal position.

2. In a coal minin device, a trough including a plurality o detachabl connected sections and a pivoted forwar section, a base plate, adjustable supporting posts carried by the base plate for engaging the roof of the mine, brackets adjustably carried by certain of the posts, oppositely extending arms carried by the brackets, guide rollers associated with said arms, one of the rollers being arran ed in advance of the forward end of the pivoted section of the trough and the other below and inwardly of the forward of said pivoted section, a belt consisting solely of a single run arranged to travel in the trough and trained over the rollers, a drum rotatably carried by the base plate, for receiving the forward end of the belt and for moving the same in one direction in the trough, a tail rope connected with the rear end of the belt, guide pulleys for the tail rope, and a second drum for receiving the rope for windin the same up for permitting the belt to returned to normal position, and means for operating said last mentioned drum.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

WILLIAM H. LESSER. RUSSELL L. SUENDER. 

